The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser for dispensing a fluid in liquid or in powder form, i.e. a liquid of various degrees of viscosity, or a powder, contained in a reservoir. The dispenser is provided with a dispensing orifice via which the fluid is dispensed. To this end, the reservoir has an actuating wall and a backing wall, said walls being adapted to be brought towards each other by elastic deformation to reduce the volume of the reservoir, and thus to deliver fluid through the dispensing orifice. This type of dispenser is in frequent use in numerous fields, and in particular in cosmetics, perfumes, or indeed pharmaceuticals.
Fluid dispensers of this type are used, inter alia, in the fields of pharmaceuticals and of cosmetics as product samples which can, for example, be distributed free of charge to enable consumers to test the product before they purchase it. Documents FR 2 778 639 and FR 2 791 645 describe such dispensers that are mainly but not exclusively used as samples. In the dispensers of those documents, provision is made to seal together two films or to seal a shell to a film around their peripheries to define a fluid reservoir. Those documents also make provision to insert a dispensing part between the two films or between the shell and the film. The dispensing part defines the dispensing orifice and optionally serves as support means for supporting a piece of porous material suitable for being soaked with fluid. To actuate those dispensers, the films or the shell define a deformable actuating wall suitable for being pressed by one or more fingers. When the dispenser comprises two sealed-together films, there are two actuating walls, and it is possible, for example, to actuate the dispenser by holding it between the thumb and one or more fingers of the same hand. The wall in contact with the thumb thus defines the actuating wall, while the wall in contact with the other finger(s) of the same hand serves as a backing wall making it possible to exert thrust on the wall in contact with the thumb. Similarly, when the dispenser comprises a shell fixed to a film, the thumb comes into contact with the shell which defines the actuating wall while the other fingers of the same hand come into contact with the sealing film which thus serves as a backing wall to enable thrust to be exerted on the actuating wall by using the thumb. Thus, in both of those prior art dispensers, the actuating wall and the backing wall are formed by two separate parts, while the dispensing orifice is formed by a third part.
In a technical field that is somewhat remote, Document GB 626 631 describes a carton of insecticide making it possible to spray powder that it contains. For that purpose, the carton is in the form of a bellows defining two actuating walls that can be brought towards each other by pivoting about a coupling portion that defines the spray orifice. However, to impart an elasticity or return characteristic to that carton, a metal spring is disposed inside the carton so as to urge the two actuating walls apart. Thus, in the rest position, the two actuating walls are spaced apart to the maximum extent, and they can be brought towards each other by compressing the spring situated inside the carton. In that document, the two actuating walls are formed by two pieces of cardboard connected at one end to a block of wood defining a hole in which a metal nozzle is inserted. The V-shaped spring is inserted between the two pieces of cardboard and the resulting assembly is wrapped in one or more layers of flexible material, e.g. foil. Thus, the flexible foil covers the two pieces of cardboard and thereby defines the two actuating walls. In all, the prior art dispenser described in that document is made up of six distinct component elements.